Windmill



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

C. H. IRWIN. WINDMILL.

150.547,954. Patented 055. 15, 1895.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. AC. H. IRWIN.

WINDMILL.

Patented Oct. 15, 1895.

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ANDREW EGRAHAM,PHUTO-UMQWASNINGTUMUC.

ATENT FFICE i CYRUS H. IRWIN, OF BARTOW, FLORIDA.

WINDlVIILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 547,954, dated October15, 1895.

Application filed November 23, 1894. Serial No. 529,763. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beitkno'wn that I, CYRUs H. IRWIN, a citi` zen of the United States,residing at Bai-tow, 1n the county of Polk and State of Florida, haveinvented a new and useful Windmill, of which the following is aspecication.

The invention relates to improvements in windmills.

The object of the present invention is to im-v prove the construction ofwindmills, to provide one from which great power may be obtained,'and toproduce an effective stormbrake which will be automatically applied andwhich will serve to maintain the windmill at a given speed.

A further object of this invention is to prevent the wind from checkingthe rotation of the wheel by acting upon blades-coming into the wind.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a windmillconstructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a verticalsectional view ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, thesection being taken through the main wind-wheel. Fig. 4 is a similarview, the section being taken above the main wind-wheel to illustratethe construction of the automatic brake. Fig. 5 is a detail sectionalview of the storm-brake wheel. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional viewillustrating the construction of the hand-brake.

Like numerals of reference indicate correspending parts in all Athegures of the drawlngs.

l designates a horizontal Wind-wheel journaled in a supporting-frame 2and provided with vertically-disposed curved blades 3, secured by rods3a at their inner vertical edges to a verticallydisposed polygonal shaft4, and connected at their tops and bottoms by upper and lower disks orplates 5 and 6. The shaft or post may be a hollow metallic one, asshown, with a solid shaft extending through it to form the journals, orit may be a solid shaft or post, and the inner edges of the blades arebent around the vertical rods 3a. The vertically-disposed curved bladespresent their concave faces to the wind, and the windwheel may be eitherbuilt up from the ground or placed upon a suitable tower, and it will bereadily apparent that by increasing the height and jthe diameter of thewheel the power obtained therefrom may be increased to any desiredextent.

The supporting-frame has an upper and lower portion, and the latter ispreferably composed of four uprights located at diametrically-oppositepoints and upper and lower cross-pieces 8 and 9, which connect theuprights 7, and these uprights have mounted upon them angularlydisposedblades or shields 12, which serve to collect and direct the wind to thewind-wheel, and to protect the blades coming into the wind to preventthe wind-wheel from being retarded. Motion is communicated from thewind-wheel to any suitable or desirable mechanism by means of ordinarygearing, the pulley being located at the bottom of the vertical shaft.at a point below the wind-wheel; but instead of employing the pulley 11any other form of gearing maybe used. A space is formed between thepulley 11 and the lower disk of the windwheel and the shaft at thatpointis adapted to be engaged by a hand-lever13, which is fulcrumed at oneend on a horizontal bar 14, secured to two of the nprights 7. The lever13 may be operated directly by hand, or any suitable means may beemployed for throwing it at will into and out of engagement with thewind-wheel and for holding it in such engagement to stop the Wind-wheel.

The upper journal 15 of the wind-wheel has a brake-drum 16 mounted uponit and adapted to be engaged by a horizontally-disposed lever 1'7, whichis supported by upper horizontal bars 18 and 19, and which is normallyheld out of engagement with the drum by a spiral spring 20. The spiralspring 20 has one end attached to the lever 17 and its other end securedto a post 21 of the upper portion of the supporting-frame; but the posts21 may be a continuation of the posts or uprights'? of the lower portionof the frame 22. The brakelever 17 is fulcrumed at one end on the upperhorizontal bar 18, and its. other end is connected with a belt 23extending from it around a pulley 24 and connected with avertical shaft25 of a storm-brake wind-wheel 26.

The shaft ot' the storm-brake wind-wheel is journaled at its upper endin the top of the upper portion of the supportingframe,

' and its lower end is journaled in a bearingopening 28 of crossedbraces 29, arranged at right angles to each other and secured to theupper cross-bars 8 of the lower portion of the supporting-frame andarched over the brakedrum. The lower end of the shaft is supported uponthe brake-drum, and it has the belt 23 wound around it, and when thestorm brake wind-wheel is rotated it will wind up the belt and apply thebrake. The belt extends from the upper shaft and is attached to one ofthe posts 2l of the frame.

The spiral spring for holding the upper brake-lever out of engagementwith the brakedrum may be of any desired strength, and it is adapted toprevent the application of the brake with a given force of wind; but asthe wind increases in violence the upper wheel will be rotated and willapply the brake directly in proportion to the increase in the force ofthe wind.

The posts 2l are connected at their upper ends by top crosspieces,andthe pulley 24 is mounted on a vertical shaft 30, mounted between one ofthe top cross-pieces and one of the upper cross-bars 8 of the lowerportion of the frame.

The storm-brake wheel is constructed similar to the main wind wheel, butis much smaller, as shown, and its blades 3l are arranged the reverse ofthe blades 3 ofthe lower wind-wheel, whereby the upper storm-brake wheelwill rotate in an opposite direction from the main wind-wheel.

It will be seen that the windmill is simple and comparativelyinexpensive in construction, that it possesses great strength anddurability, and that it may be readily constructed to impart the desiredpower. It will also be seen that the windmill may be readily connectedwith any desired mechanism and that it is automatically maintained at agiven speed; also, it will be apparent that it is capable of receivingthe wind from any quarter, and that the wind is directed to the wheel tothe greatest advantage and is prevented from acting upon the blades asthey approach the wind and of retarding the rotation of the wheel.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of constructionmay be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificingany of the advantages of this invention.

What I claim is- 1. ln a wind mill, the combination of a supportingframe, a horizontal wind wheel having a vertical shaft carrying a drumlocated above the wind wheel, a horizontally disposed brake leverlocated above the wind wheel and having one end fulcrumed on the frameand arranged to engage the drum, a spring connected with the other endof the leverfor holding the latterout of engagement with the drum andlocated at one side of the lever, a guide pulley located at the oppositeside of the leverand mounted on the supporting frame, an upper stormbrake wind wheel having a vertical shaft, and a belt connected with thebrake and extending around the guide pulley and connected with the shaftof the storm brake wind wheel and arranged to be wound upon the same,substantially as described.

2. In a wind mill, the combination of a supporting frame having an upperportion, and provided with a lower portion having dialnet.- ricallyoppositely disposed uprights, angularly disposed shields secured to theuprights, the horizontal wind wheel having a vertical shaft journaled inthe supporting frame and carrying a drum, arched braces arranged atright angles and mounted centrally at the top of the supporting frameand extending over the drum and provided with a bearing opening, anupper storm brake wind wheel mounted upon a vertical shaft journaled inthe upper portion of the frame and having its lower end located in thebearing opening of said braces, a brake lever arranged to engage saiddrum, a belt secured to the lever and connected with the shaft of theupper storm brake wind wheel, and arranged to be wound on the same, anda lower hand brake, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto ailixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CYRUS H. IRWIN.

Witnesses:

FRED GEMME, JOHN I. l-IENDRY.

